


That Christmas Magic

by MagicMaddie



Series: Persona 5 One-Offs [4]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Cake, Christmas Shopping, F/M, Persona 5 Secret Santa, Persona 5 Spoilers, Persona 5: The Royal Spoilers, Persona Secret Santa 2020, Sleepy Cuddles, White Christmas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:28:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28299726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagicMaddie/pseuds/MagicMaddie
Summary: Saving the world on Christmas Eve is no small feat, especially when a close call almost sent Ren Amamiya to jail for the holidays. Thankfully, he has all the time in the world to spend with two friends from Kosei High, and his beloved Ann Takamaki.A work on behalf of the "Persona Secret Santa 2020" event, dedicated to the wonderful katiekatartist! Happy holidays, and enjoy!
Relationships: Amamiya Ren/Takamaki Ann
Series: Persona 5 One-Offs [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1637260
Comments: 1
Kudos: 8





	That Christmas Magic

**Author's Note:**

  * For [katiekatartist](https://archiveofourown.org/users/katiekatartist/gifts).



**Ann:** _ I couldn’t bring myself to say it earlier… _

**Ann:** _ But let’s meet up, just the two of us. We can keep it a secret from everyone else. _

**Ann:** _ How about dinner somewhere, and then back to your room? _

* * *

After a puzzling encounter with Sae Niijima and an old confidant, Ren found Ann’s texts in his inbox. A warm affection wrapped around him before anxiety pushed it away.

Ren Amamiya’s charcoal eyes darted back to the bustling Shibuya streets, the dissonant chatter bringing disservice to Ren’s lack of assurance. The young man hummed nervously to himself, his hand clutching his ebony hair. 

_ What now?! _

In the middle of a world that  _ just  _ rejected the puppetry of an evil god, Ren’s freedom—what little he had left, anyways—had almost been snatched from him. Sae, stern and frank as she ever was, recommended that the quiet boy turn himself into the police. If Masayoshi Shido was to ever be convicted of his crimes, it’d require Ren’s testimony in jail.

Then Goro Akechi stepped in. Thought to be dead by the Phantom Thieves, the dashing boy took Ren’s place in legal custody. In that conversation, Akechi seemed alive and well, so even Ren could believe it when the prosecutor and “detective” walked off to the police station. Yet, how could Ren  _ not _ believe he was alive? Akechi had clearly been through hell in his gruesome, murderous quest to please, then overthrow, the man who destroyed the lives of Ren, Akechi, and more beyond that. And when it came down to the final nail in Shido’s coffin, the ex-detective—Shido’s puppet for the breakdowns and mental shutdowns across Japan—was far more suitable for an incriminating testimony. Therefore, Ren Amamiya still walked a relatively free man.

His year of probation still needed to run its course, but it was so close. 

Even so, that meant his time with his new friends and confidants was running out. 

Ren’s hand dropped, glancing down at the phone in his other hand. A new text greeted him:

**Ann:** _ Actually, could we have dinner and cake with Hifumi and Yusuke? I just ran into Hifumi, and I want to take her shopping. If you can make it, can you get in contact with Yusuke ASAP? _

With such time placed in his hands, Ren was going to make this the best Christmas Eve of his life, heedless of an exhausting battle with a god. He first set himself on a trip back to LeBlanc...

* * *

Hifumi Togo cocked her head to the side, taking note of her new friend’s modeling. She smiled warmly.

“Very beautiful,” she remarked. “I’d expect no less from someone such as you, Takamaki.”

Ann Takamaki rested her hands on her hips and beamed at Hifumi, empowered and reassured. She donned a beige bolero and a crisp blue undershirt that cut the neck into a “V.” Her sleek black leggings were fit on her legs, just enough to stray from discomfort in pose and movement. She wished she could trade the dark-brown heels for ankle boots of the same color, but those were snatched away by someone else however long ago. Even so, the meek pumps were enough to blend with her leggings and let the top stand out above all. In short, Ann was sold on the outfit. 

“I’ll change back, then!” she exclaimed, her arms crossing in front of her chest. “We’ve got to pick something out for  _ you _ , too! Remember?”   
  


Hifumi’s head returned upright, her teeth grit in uncertainty.

“I am...not sure that’s a good idea,” she murmured, loud enough for Ann to hear. “Aren’t we supposed to purchase a cake for you and Amamiya-kun?”

Ann’s smile was replaced with pouty pink lips, her hands dropping to her sides. 

“I’d hate to stop here,” she sighed. “I really wanted to buy  _ something  _ for you…”

Ann’s cerulean eyes suddenly darted to the left of the store, then toward the jewelry section on the right. 

She set her sights on a striking amethyst gem, set in a heart of shiny, little diamonds, and hung by a thin silver necklace.

“ _ YES! _ ” she cried, proudly strolling toward the displayed jewel. “You are  _ so _ getting this!”

Hifumi rushed to her side, instinctively grasping her arm.

“Takamaki-san, no!” she quietly pleaded. 

Disregarding Hifumi’s hold on her, Ann snapply pivoted to face her friend from Kosei High. 

“It’s on me, and you need some more cool accessories,” she insisted happily, before her lovely face contorting into a bold glare. “And  _ please _ start calling me ‘Ann!’”

It seemed the shogi player had little choice, and her head bowed in abashment. 

“Thank you, then...Ann,” she sighed. “I’ll be sure to repay you.”

Before the correction could cross Hifumi’s own mind, Ann growled, “Are you kidding?! Ordering the cake is good enough!”

“Are you sure?” Hifumi inquired. 

“Positive,” the young model assured, the bright, pearly smile coming back. “I forgot to tell you that I’m a sweet tooth.”

* * *

As the pair entered the underground mall, Ren couldn’t help but notice Yusuke Kitagawa was staring at him. His head turned to the other man. 

“Are you good?” Ren asked. 

“Well, I’m truly in your debt for this occasion,” the taller, downright  _ gorgeous  _ man said, before stopping in his tracks. “I must say...you look quite nice.”

Ren shrugged, stopping just an inch ahead of Yusuke. Though nothing worthy of a heads turning, Ren’s red blazer and simple black undershirt were new. It was Ann’s “treat” after Ren escaped from imprisonment in November. 

Aside from being a wonderful, benevolent girlfriend, she certainly had good taste. Ren didn’t think he could pull off the look, but Yusuke’s smile seemed to confirm the best. 

“You shouldn’t have forgotten your coat, however,” the artist frowned. 

Yes, Ren had hurried out the moment Yusuke arrived to meet him back outside of LeBlanc, brushing aside Sojiro’s shouts from behind the closed door. It wasn’t until the pair arrived in Shibuya that they realized Sojiro had been hollering for Ren to grab his heavy coat. 

“Yeah, I’ll remember it next time,” Ren sighed. “But hey, I’m not freezing to death.”

“That’s because we’re inside,” Yusuke snorted. “Be sure to take it in before we go out again.”   
  


“Yeah, yeah,” Ren shook his head, and the two continued to stroll down the mall to the clothing store.

It wasn’t long before the two ended up before the shop, taking note of two familiar faces checking out. In particular, Ann’s eyes glanced at them for a moment, before she swerved back when the familiarity seemed to click in her mind. Dressed in her common red jacket and lavender undershirt, her wide, toothy grin came out clearly.

“Ren! Yusuke!” Ann melodiously hollered, snatching two bags and trotting over to the boys. “How are you doing?!”

Ren opened his mouth to say something, but his blonde girlfriend had gasped loud enough for people passing by to look over.

“You’re wearing the  _ blazer I bought you _ !” the girl squealed. “I knew it’d look good on you!”

Still grasping the pair of bags in each of her hands, Ann leapt at Ren, embracing her boyfriend. 

“Yeah,” he chuckled. “Thanks again, really.”

The twinkle in Ann’s eyes grew greater, and even Hifumi chuckled as she slowly walked over to join them. 

“Good evening, gentlemen,” she greeted. “So, where to next?”

* * *

“So, it seems the restaurants nearby are packed,” Ann sighed. “That’s too bad…”

“Hm,” Hifumi hummed to herself, looking down at the box in her arms. “At least I have our Christmas cake. So it seems we were lucky in  _ that _ regard.”

“That’s great,” Yusuke slowly pondered, “but then...what next?”

The quartet fell silent in thought, yet the station’s cacophony continued to ring. Even Ren was unsure of where to go. After calling multiple businesses around the nearby area, the four were left with few options. 

But the easiest solution wasn’t one that Ren minded. 

“How about we head back to LeBlanc?” Ren asked, slowly rubbing his hands together. “Maybe Sojiro can do something more.”

“I’ve never visited this ‘LeBlanc,’” the brunette shogi player exclaimed. “I hope it’s okay with your caretaker.”

“Boss is cool!” Ann gleefully assured. “On Election Day, he pretty much got a whole feast for us!”

“ _ Right _ ,” Hifumi quietly murmured, emerald eyes darting left and right, “for your...Phantom Thief escapades?”

Yusuke’s dark eyes went wide, and the other three turned to him.

“You  _ know _ ?!” he cried, his voice cracking in emphasis. 

“Yusuke!” Ann whined, stomping her foot. “You can’t just - “

Ren merely shook his head. 

“It’s alright,” he giggled. “Hifumi figured it out a while back.” 

Brushing off the nostalgia that warped his mind for a moment, Ren pressed his lips together in thought. 

“Yeah...yeah,” Ren muttered. “Yeah, we might as well go to LeBlanc. It’ll snow soon,  _ and _ I’ve got a little heater for a fireplace.”   
  


“You live in LeBlanc’s attic, correct?” Hifumi inquired with awe. “It sounds quaint, yet cozy.”

“It’s a nice floor,” Ann admitted. “At least what we  _ can _ clean up.” 

“Now, now,” Ren cooly insisted, “there’s some places I can’t reach, and some I just can’t do. The rest is pretty good!”

Even Yusuke could laugh at the light teases, clasping his hands together. 

“Well, then! Shall we?”

* * *

Hifumi and Yusuke left LeBlanc when the cake was finished entirely. As it turned out, everyone was hungry in choosing to have dessert before the warm main entree. Sojiro was still making some curry, but the Kosei High students assured him that they’d be fine for the night. 

In the gray-walled confines of the attic, Ren Amamiya and Ann Takamaki were left to themselves. They missed the eccentric artist and innocuous shogi players; that was for certain. 

But something warm and affectionate was stirring between them. Ren knew that he was longing for something, as he watched the sweet, giddy, and downright  _ gorgeous _ Ann gaze at the calm snow outside. A great chill wiped out any heat in the room, but neither was shivering just yet. Rather, Ann’s focus was centered on the cascading snowflakes, her head following every little one, much like a puppy would in the same scenario.

And Ren, sitting by her side on his bed, was too focused on Ann’s smile. His own lips curved instinctively at the sight of such a warm beaming. 

It had been a while since he’d seen Ann smile this way. Ever since their first kiss on the rooftop of Shujin Academy, he saw her with such ecstacy here and there—but one thing after another would wipe that happiness away at some point. And when trauma still lingered, Ann Takamaki would bounce back as rapturous as ever. 

  
It seemed even Yaldabaoth couldn’t break Ann forever. She, Ren, and everyone in their circle had been through the best and worst of their lives. Yet in choosing to remain close, they’d finally seen it through to the end—at least for the foreseeable future. 

“We really are getting a white Christmas,” Ann gawked. “I thought it’d only snow this much tomorrow.”   
  


“It would still be Christmas,” Ren cooed, “right?”

Nodding, Ann’s posture seemed to sway. She rolled her head in a long stretch, and before Ren knew it, the young woman’s head collapsed onto his shoulder. 

“Merry Christmas, Ren,” Ann sighed. 

“Why are you saying it like we’re done?” Ren blinked. 

“True,” Ann snorted. “I mean...I  _ do _ have a good few hours left.”

Ren looked out the window once more. It really was a gorgeous sight, even if the snow was overlapping with some of the rustier buildings in Yongen-Jaya.

The young man had lost Ann’s movement for a while, staring out into the cold. A gentle tap on his shoulder brought him back. 

He turned to where Ann was, and his lips noiselessly parted, even if by so little.

Ann was still shaking her long hair out of their trademark twintails, and the voluminous tendrils fell over her shoulders. 

“Yeah,” she quietly pondered, “I don’t think any of the Phantom Thieves have seen me with my hair down. Well,  _ maybe  _ Makoto or Haru. Shiho always thought I should let it down more often.”

Once again, Ren’s toothy grin was charged with an affectionate awe. 

“I’d say you can do anything with yourself,” he replied, his sights unable to leave Ann’s face and hair. “You’ll always be wonderful.”

Ann never faltered, seeming to embrace the newfound, rosy color in her cheeks. 

“And I’ll say the same for you,” she echoed, before she suddenly jumped and gasped. “Now, maybe we should sit near that heater.”

* * *

The window was closed so as not to negate the dim warmth of the heater. A soft hum lulled the pair that sat there.

Ann’s entire form had collapsed into Ren, though she kept awake somehow. The young man held her close, refusing to loosen such a tender moment. His red blazer was off his arms, blanketing the beautiful girl that never let go.

“Hmm…” Ann dreamily buzzed, as though she  _ were _ falling asleep. 

Ren nuzzled into the woman’s soft hair, and the latter sighed. 

“Thank you, Ren,” she whispered. “I love you.”

“I love  _ you _ ,” Ren assured. “I’m glad we’re here now.”

Ann giggled softly, and time vanished in that angelic voice.


End file.
